April 1, (THEWILL)The Federal Government is considering plans to sell three aircraft from the Presidential Air Fleet (PAF).
THEWILL learnt that the plan is part of the President Bola Tinubu administration’s efforts to save costs.
The Presidential Air Fleet comprises ten aircraft, including six jets and four helicopters. However, there are concerns over the rising maintenance costs associated with the fleet.
“The President is uncomfortable with the rising cost of maintaining the planes. Three planes have been pencilled down for disposal. The main reason is cutting down high maintenance costs. I think officers in PAF were particularly concerned about the frequency of maintenance and how much it costs the nation.
“The President decided to let off the aircraft that constitute the most burdensome,” a source privy to the planned sale of the three aircraft told The Nation newspaper.
According to the source, President Tinubu is concerned about the escalating expenses involved in maintaining the planes, prompting the decision to dispose of the three aircraft identified as the most burdensome in terms of maintenance costs.
Earlier in December 2023, THEWILL reported the approval of the Federal Government for the sale of the Falcon 900B aircraft from the Presidential fleet.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria has approved the sale of Falcon 900B aircraft owned by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF). In compliance with provisions of the Public Procurement Act 2007, the NAF hereby invites all interested parties to submit bids for the purchase of the aircraft. The bids can be submitted by email or physically,” the Nigerian Air Force had said in a post on X.
